Darkness
by darklight1216
Summary: The young one smells of sweat and fear. He will rip him, he will break him. Flesh is always sweeter when it is joined with pain.
1. Chapter 1

Takes place sometime in S1. A little bit of a plot but mostly just an excuse for some Sam whumping and a little Dean angst.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except the mistakes.

**Pursuit**

"I'm telling you, Sammy. This is our kind of thing."

"Puncture wounds to the back of the neck…" Sam flipped the page to the rest of the article. "Sightings reported outside of Luray, Virginia..."

"Mutilated animals, panic among the village people- classic signs of supernatural havoc.

"Dean, they weren't mutilated; this could just be some more vampire bats or something."

"How many bats have you seen that could drink a whole goat dry?"

"These incidents all happened near Luray Caverns." Sam tried to meet Dean's gaze, but his brother was too focused on the road. "Do you know what lives in caves, Dean? Bats. That's all this is."

"Yeah well, we're actually getting paid to do this gig."

"But Dean, this is just a waste of time." Sam insisted. "We could be going after that demon-"

Dean jerked the car to the side of the road. "All right, Sam, where should we start looking for it?" Dean glared at him. "'Cause if you've got some inside information, now's the time to share."

Sam silently clenched his jaw.

"I want to find that bastard as much as you do, but we just don't where it is." Dean ran his hand through his hair. "Look, we'll just take care of this and then hope Dad gives us some more coordinates." He started the car up. "Besides, it'll be nice to sleep in beds for a change." He grinned at his brother. "You look like crap."

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_Pursuit… Darkness….__Terror__….__Anguish…_

"No, no!" Sam Winchester awoke with a gasp. Breathing heavily, he looked over at his brother's bed. Dean was still asleep. Good. Sam didn't want him to know that he had been having another nightmare; it had been months since the last one. God why did this have to start now?

He looked at his watch. In less than an hour they would head back to Jeb Stuart's ranch to hunt the creature which the locals called Night Prowler. Sam quietly slipped out of bed, took a shower, changed, and ran out to grab some breakfast. When he returned Dean was already dressed and waiting.

They drove to Stuart ranch, throwing down doughnuts and coffee on the way.

"So, you think we're dealing with a young vampire?" Sam asked.

"Nah, even the little ones need human blood; they'd be going after toddlers and babies, not farm animals."

"Did Dad's journal mention anything like this?"

"Nope."

"We'll have to be careful then, since we don't know what we're dealing with."

The brothers slammed their doors shut and met at the back of the car.

"You scared or something?" Dean asked as he popped the trunk.

Sam smirked, "It's not fear- it's precaution."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

* * *

"Where's that map Stuart gave us?" 

"I got it." Sam smoothed the folds of the paper and squinted to read. "Okay it looks like this thing has a pattern. First it hit the Scott's dairy farm, then it went south to Reely's llama farm."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know. Who keeps llamas for pets?" He shined his flashlight on the map again. "After the llama place it hit Stuart so the next target should be… let's see: the Hendrickson's."

"Seems to keep a pretty straight path, we can probably cut it off if we go that way." Dean gestured with his flashlight. "But that brush is thick, we'll have to hoof it."

"Don't we always?"

As Dean and Sam delved deeper into the woods south of Jeb Stuart's ranch, a pair of hungry, red eyes followed their every move.

Tonight, he will feast.

**Darkness**

The footprints were a day old. They weren't rounded like a bear or a mountain lion, but long like a human's foot, and they were clawed like a falcon's talons.

Dean glanced up, "You okay?"

Sam nodded and responded a little too cheerily, "Yeah, just a chill."

"This is definitely not a spirit." Dean took the safety off his handgun. "We'll need more than rock salt for this." He looked around them. Darkness swallowed all forms nearby, almost consuming the lights from their flashlights. "You remember exactly where that tree was?" The brothers had decided to keep watch at the top of a small hill – Dean would crouch behind a large rock near the footprints, and Sam would be stationed near a dogwood tree that they had passed. They would, hopefully, be able to watch all the routes to the farm and stop the creature before he preyed on any more livestock.

"Yeah." Sam's nod wasn't seen by Dean. He paused for a moment before trudging to his hiding place.

Dean's legs grew stiff as he crouched behind the boulder. How long had it been? Minutes? Hours? It seemed as if these woods devoured time as well as light; it was like falling into a black hole. He peered at his watch. They had been there one hour so far and hadn't seen any supernatural creature so far. Cupping his hands together, Dean made a birdcall that he and his brother perfected in childhood. Sam answered with an identical low birdcall. Dean sighed, stretched his legs and kneeled behind stone once more. From the shadows a dark form watched his prey.

The young one smells of sweat and fear. He will rip him, he will break him. He will hear him scream and then… oh then he will make him hurt. Flesh is always sweeter when it is joined with pain.

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"Dang it." Dean whispered. He had fallen asleep while he was supposed to be watching out for a blood-sucking-goat-killer. Sam would never let him live it down. He scanned the area and listened for any disturbances or any telltale leaves crackling beneath clawed feet. The woods were dead silent.

Dean aimed his flashlight toward the Hendrickson farm; there were no lights on or bleating sheep, or screaming people so he assumed the creature had not hunted yet. He yawned, sat behind the rock once more, and listened to the symphony of the night. He sat up instantly. How could he have been so stupid? Not an owl hooted nor cricket chirped. Something had passed through this area. He bird called again, though surely Sam would have already noticed the silence and he would be vigilant.

Dean received no answering call. His heart skipped a beat and time froze.

_Sam_

Every instinct in him screamed to run, abandon all obligations and run to his little brother. But Dean knew this creature, whatever it was, might still be nearby. It might even be hunting _him_. Every moment spent slowly creeping to his brother's hiding place was agony. He could have been there in seconds had he sprinted, but he had made one mistake tonight: falling asleep, and he wasn't about to make another.

The signs were unmistakable. The leaves surrounding the tree had been kicked up where two individuals had struggled against one another and there were deep scratches on the bark. There was a small smear of blood and a few pieces of long brown hair on the trunk of the dogwood. The creature must have fought with Sam before knocking him unconscious by slamming his head against the base of the tree. The most disturbing thing was that there were no drag marks; whatever had attacked Sam was strong enough to easily carry a full grown human being.

Dean punched the side of the tree. His brother had been here fighting with that thing when Dean was only 50 feet away. Dean had been catching some "z's" while Sam was assaulted and carried away by this Night Prowler. He wondered if Sam had called to him for help. Had he pleaded for his brother's protection before his world had gone dark? Or had he stayed silent, praying that Dean would not meet the same fate as he had? Either way, when Sam woke up he would be expecting his brother to come for him. That was exactly what Dean planned to do.

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This is my first fanfic, please let me know what you think. :D 


	2. Chapter 2

**I offici****ally hate this chapter. I started working on it before I even had the first chapter posted, but I had to re-write it so many times before it even resembled something coherent and I still don't like it lol.**

**So sorry for the wait, I hope you all enjoy reading it more than I enjoyed writing it. XD **

**Terror**

He tasted blood. Sam opened his eyes, but it was so dark that he could barely make out any part of his surroundings. His pressed his hand to his aching head, but he realized that he couldn't move his arms. Strong rope like tendrils bound his wrists to the ceiling of the creature's lair. A loud, almost happy, screeching sound filled the air. Sam's breath unconsciously quickened and he turned his head from side to side, peering into the darkness for a glimpse of what had made the sound. A pair of bright red eyes floated towards him. Those twin rubies had been the last things he saw before he blacked out. He tried to free himself, but the bonds tightened with his every struggle. The eyes now hovered less than a foot away from his face. With bruising force, two hands held him still as the red eyes grew closer. Something sharp nestled onto his skin and Sam hissed sharply as his neck exploded with pain. His pulse drummed in his ears as his heartbeat raced, driving his blood swiftly into the creature's mouth. Sam's vision grew blurry; his head fell to his chest. The beast moved its hands all over his body, piercing his flesh with its long claws. Before he lost consciousness again, Sam realized that he could no longer hear his heart thumping.

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Carrying Sam had weighed the creature down. It had once moved so gracefully that its prints were difficult to find, but now it had left a clear path to follow. Dean tracked it very carefully because there was a good chance that this thing had purposefully made it easy to be pursued so that he would walk into a trap. He kept his gun drawn and his eyes peeled. Then again, the creature might have been unconcerned about its tracks being found because the only person who would hunt it had been fast asleep. Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt the sting of guilt begin to gnaw at him, but he knew that beating himself up would not help his brother. Instead he focused on planning what he would do when he found that bastard Night Prowler. Dean quickened his pace.

The tracks led to a dilapidated log cabin. The decrepit house was covered vines, almost giving it the appearance of an overgrown shrub. _"You home, Tarzan?" _Dean thought. As he walked closer to the cottage, he realized that all of the windows and doors were hidden beneath the thick ropy vines.

A groaning sound resonated nearby. Dean quickly ran to the nearest bush, turned off his flashlight, and ducked behind the shrub. He cautiously peeked at the cabin. The house was moving. Dean blinked several times to be sure of what he saw. The shack was still in the same place, but it looked like it was shifting. The vines writhed and roiled and slowly extracted themselves from the doorframe. They snaked away from the front door and lay still on the porch. Dean avidly watched the time-consuming process from his hiding place. When the vines finally exposed the doorway, a tall being appeared.

The Night Prowler had a lean and agile body. Its long arms ended in sharp claws similar to the ones that grew from its feet. A chill crawled up Dean's spine as he thought about what those claws could have done to Sam while he had been sleeping. The creature swiftly disappeared into the night, no doubt expecting to find Dean still asleep behind a boulder.

Once it had exited, the vines began to re-apply themselves to the doorway. In a few minutes the only way into the cabin would be closed. Dean cautiously approached the shrinking entrance. He didn't consider not going in to find his brother, but his palms grew sweaty as he thought about the vines closing in around him, trapping him within their depths. He took a deep breath and plunged into the cabin.

**Anguish**

He stepped into what was once a living room and clicked the on switch of his flashlight. He noticed that vines lined the walls and ceilings of the house. Shabby, broken furniture was lined against the walls while the center of the room was filled with a nest of leaves, twigs, and dirt. Dean looked back at the doorway; the hole had shrunken to half its size. He walked past the living room and spotted a staircase, but the steps were decayed and many hung askew. He felt sure the creature wouldn't have hidden his brother on the second floor.He ducked past a broken door frame and walked into the kitchen. What he saw both relieved and angered him.

His brother's tall form stood in the middle of the floor, arms upraised; slender vines hanging from the ceiling, tightly held his wrists. Sam's head lolled from side to side as he fought for consciousness. But he was alive. Dean rushed to his side and pulled at the vines. Sam moaned as they tightened around his sore wrists.

"Sam?" Dean said as he flicked out his pocketknife and freed his brother. After he managed to cut through the vines, Sam slumped limply onto the floor. "Sam," Dean shined his flashlight on Sam's face. "Come on Sam, you have to get up."

Sam moaned and turned his head away from the bright light. "Dean?" he murmured. The severed vines writhed weekly on the cracked tile near Sam. Dean almost laughed as an image of a chicken with its head cut off entered his mind. "I knew you'd come." Sam panted.

Dean self-consciously scratched the back of his neck. If he had stayed awake, Sam would never have needed to be rescued at all.

The house was filled with a loud groaning as the vines supporting it shifted.

"It's back." Sam whispered frantically. His eyes widened as he heard soft footsteps crossing the living room.

_"Damn," _Dean thought, _"That sucker is fast."_

He looked from his brother who was still lying on the kitchen floor to the surroundings in the kitchen. A plan came to him. He dropped his flashlight and ran to the counter then he hid in the kitchen pantry. When Sam realized what was happening he panicked. "No, don't leave me!"

Dean's heart ached as heard his brother's frantic plea, but he ignored his cries.

"Dean?" He fell silent as the creature entered the room.

Sam desperately shrank from the approaching monster. "Please," he sobbed. It gave the cheerful screech that he now knew was laughter. The creature reached toward its captive. Its long hand eagerly traced Sam's bruises and lacerations, admiring the damage as though the young man was its work of art.

Dean's finger twitched against the trigger of his gun, but he wouldn't allow himself to shoot. Not when it was so close to Sam. He could not risk hitting his brother. Dean clenched his jaw as he watched the beast rain blows upon his brother. It screeched joyously with every sound Sam uttered. Dean's eyes began to water and he looked away, unable to bear watching his brother's suffering.

The creature paused. It cocked its horned head to one side as it realized that its prisoner was no longer bound. With a wave of a long fingered hand, a vine reached from the wall and twisted itself around Sam's neck. It moved closer to Sam to continue working on him when an object nearby caught its attention.

Dean watched as the monster crept in front of the pantry to examine the flashlight. Once it was close enough, Dean sprang from his hiding place and stabbed it. The steak knife he had grabbed from the counter sliced through its arm and wedged firmly into the floor. Immobilized, the beast could not resist as Dean rapidly pumped three rounds into its head.

Dean retrieved his flashlight, hurried to where his brother lay gasping for air, and cut the vine away from Sam's neck. He wanted to check his brother's injuries, but he knew they had to get out of the cabin before the only exit closed. When Dean wrapped his arm around Sam to help him up, he was met with a sharp cry of pain. "Sammy," He tried not to let his voice betray his alarm. "What's wrong?" he was answered with a small whimper. Dean quickly ran his hands along his brother's torso and cursed at what he found. His hands were splashed with blood.

He placed his arm more carefully around his brother and both of them made their way to the front door. Mercifully, the vines had not covered the doorway yet and the brother's were able to escape. As Dean half led, half dragged his brother away from the lair, Sam's breath came in ragged, uneven gasps. As they walked he leaned more and more of his weight on Dean until finally, he collapsed. "I'm, I'm sorry." He sobbed. "I can't-"

"Yes you can," Den said insisted. "You have to." He looked into his brother's pain filled eyes. "The car isn't that far," he lied, "When we get there, we can grab the first aid kit. I'll patch you up, okay?"

"'Kay." Sam moaned pitifully.

Dean decided that now was a good time to find out just how injured Sam was. He pulled his knife out again and cut open Sam's shirt so he could get a good look; he shined the flashlight on him. One eye was so swollen Sam could barely hold it open. An elaborately colored bruise ran along his right side. Near his temple was a bloody cut, presumably where his head had collided with the tree trunk. The worst injury was hidden in the shadows. Dean aimed the flashlight lower. Three deep parallel lines raked from his back to the front of his abdomen, just below Sam's ribcage. The wounds bled freely onto the grass below him.

Dean took off his shirt and pressed it against Sam's side. The light grey was quickly replaced with dark red as blood soaked through. As the pressure on his wound increased, Sam struggled against his brother. Dean winced as he looked into his brother's pallid face. Sam's eyes were wide with pain and he looked up at his brother with something not unlike fear. It sent a shiver up Dean's spine to think that his brother was afraid of him. But he had only himself to blame for that. If he had stayed awake this would not have happened.

"I'm sorry." Dean whispered and pressed harder against the torn body.

Sam's mouth opened and closed, but no air moved past his mouth. Panic gripped Dean as he watched his little brother struggle to take a breath. Sam's fingers clawed at the soil beneath him. After several seconds ticked by, he finally took a labored gulp of air.

Dean released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and brought his hand up to run through his hair. He noticed with no small amount of guilt, that his hands were now coated with sticky, coagulating blood. He peered at the forest around them anxiously, hoping that somehow the path they needed would be revealed. The darkness was as unyielding as ever.

Dean narrowed his eyes as a jubilant screech reached his ears.

They will pay.

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**Thank you all so much for the reviews. It's really encouraging to hear what you think. ****Sorry for any stupid mistakes I made- I'm working on this at 4 o'clock in the morning because I have a busy day tomorrow and I want to get this posted. ****Thanks for reading and don't forget to R & R. ****(It's only a click away!) :) And don't be afraid to post ****constructive**** criticism, I don't bite. ;-) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hopefully the rating I gave this story is high enough … But just in case: Pregnant women and little children, you might want to skip this chapter. Or this story…**

**Thanks so much for the review, guys!!!**

_Dean released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and brought his hand up to run through his hair. He noticed with no small amount of guilt, that his hands were now coated with sticky, coagulating blood. He peered at the forest around them anxiously, hoping that somehow the path they needed would be revealed. The darkness was as unyielding as ever._

_Dean narrowed his eyes as a jubilant screech reached his ears._

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**Endurance**

Dean did not know how the monster had survived their last encounter, and he really

didn't care. He realized that now he didn't have the element of surprise, and finishing this thing off would be a challenge to say the least. He looked down at Sam who had closed his eyes and lay completely still. Dean briefly debated between waiting for the monster to come to them, or jogging a few yards away to lure the creature's attention from his injured brother.

He remembered Sam's pleading voice as he had left him on the kitchen floor. He could see his brother's disbelieving eyes as he walked away and left him. Dean would not abandon him again; he tightened his grip on his gun and waited.

Pine needles crunched softly behind him. Dean whirled and fired. No dead body fell to the ground; he had been too slow. Too late, he saw a dark shape swipe his shoulder. Pain lanced through Dean's body as sharp claws dug into his flesh. The creature's hand came away wet with his blood. As white spots danced across his eyes, Dean fell to his knees. The beast curled its lips back to show jagged, yellow fangs. It brought one of its fingers to its mouth to taste the freshly spilled blood.

It bared its fangs and leaned close to its prey, eager to taste flesh now that it had sampled the blood. So focused was it on devouring its victim, it failed to hear the metal scrape as a weapon was drawn.

Dean plunged his pocket knife into its eye socket; he twisted the blade and shoved it in as deeply as it would go. Thick, blue, black gel exploded onto Dean's hands and arms as the knife passed through the gelatinous eyeball and delved into the soft brain matter beneath.

It slumped to the ground lifelessly. Dean shot a single bullet into its heart just to be sure. He tentatively felt the back of his shoulder. The wounds hurt like a bitch, but he figured they weren't life threatening. Sam's injuries he wasn't so sure about. His brother groaned as he tried to sit up.

"What..." Sam looked nervously at the carcass. "Is it dead?"

"You know me." Dean forced a cocky grin onto his face. "I Jason Bourne'd that mother."

"But you're-"Sam closed his eyes as pain washed over him, "You're sure it's dead?"

"Yeah," Dean said softly. "Don't worry, that bastard's history."

Sam looked relieved for a moment before he grimaced and lay back down, panting. Dean carefully put his hand on the back of Sam's skull and lifted his head to help him breathe easier. He noticed two distinctive marks on his neck. Dean didn't even want to imagine how it had felt when those foul teeth touched his brother's body. He gently ran his fingers along the bruise that marred the right side of his brother's chest, trying to feel for internal damage. A few ribs were definitely broken; walking would be a challenge. Sam's warm blood had soaked through Dean's shirt, but at least the flow had slowed to a steady trickle now.

Dean could see how difficult it was for Sam to move in his condition, and he hated what he was about to do. "Sammy, you have to get up."

He had to give the kid credit. Sam put on his game face and, with his brother's help, gingerly made it to his feet. Dean didn't comment on the tear that fell from the corner of his brother's eye when the movements jarred Sam's injuries. As he helped Sam limp forward, Dean could feel blood dripping down his back. Miraculously, the sky had started to lighten from pitch black to cool grey. Dean was pretty sure he remembered how to get back to the car.

Sam began to move more slowly with every step they took. His legs buckled and Dean had to help him up several times. As he panted, blood fell unheeded from his lips. He could just make out the blurry, black shape of the Impala before the last of his energy was spent and he fell to ground.

Dean stumbled to the car without him. He knew that he didn't have the strength to carry Sam and it wasn't that far anyway. Black spots began to cloud his vision as he reached into the front seat for his cell phone. He blindly punched numbers until he heard the blessed words: "Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?"

"My brother…" He struggled to get the words out. "He, he needs help." The woman on the other end said something he couldn't make out.

"We-,"He started to feel dizzy and shook his head to fight off unconsciousness. "Please, hurry."

The phone dropped from his fingers and the last thing Dean saw was his brother's fallen body before the world darkened and he too fell to ground.

**Do you see how scary it is when someone doesn't have a beta?**

**R&R or no updates! Then you'll never get to see Dean and Sammy in the hospital.**

**Seriously though, reviews are priceless and I greatly appreciate them (especially the positive ones lol) so please let me know how the story is going.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait; moving is so stressful. .**

**Thank you all sooo so much for the reviews, they are probably my favorite thing about posting these fanfics, and I apologize for waiting to incredibly long before I got this incredibly short chapter posted.**

**I did my best to make sure my scenario is medically correct, but forgive me if I messed up.**

**Hope**

"Sir, can you hear me?"

"What do you think could have done this?

Dean heard mumbled voices surrounding him.

"Animals maybe?"

"Whatever it is really did a number on the other one. It looked like his side went through a paper shredder."

He felt one of his eyelids being pulled open and a bright light blinded him.

"Sir, can you hear me?"

Dean nodded slowly.

"You're at Luray General Hospital. My name is Doctor Creed." The doctor examined his other eye. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

Dean nodded again. He remembered falling asleep during a hunt. He remembered letting his brother get hurt. Dean looked around in confusion. _Where was Sam?_

The white-coated man beside Dean's hospital bed asked him a series of questions: if he knew the date, how many fingers were being held up, his name, and finally, what had happened to him in the woods. For the last two questions lies came easily, a sure sign of neurological health. The doctor prodded his injured shoulder. "Please try not to move. I am almost finished with your sutures."

"Wait, what about Sam?" Dean asked, "Where is my brother?"

"The young man you were with? He is recovering from his operation." Doctor Creed answered.

Dean's face visibly paled. He knew that the Night Prowler had injured Sam, but he had thought it would only take some stitches and a blood transfusion to fix him. _"How badly was Sam injured?"_

"Your brother's intestines were torn, and we had to perform surgery to repair the tears." The doctor explained. "It was a delicate surgery, but we were able to repair the damage to Sam's small intestine." He announced with a smile.

Dean exhaled heavily in relief. "So he's going to be okay?"

Doctor Creed nodded, "He has an infection from fluids that leaked into his abdominal cavity, but we've started him on antibiotics and that should clear it up... so yeah, he's going to be fine."

Dean's face broke into a smile that outshined the doctor's. "When can I see him?"

"Well, since you seem to be doing alright now, I'll have a nurse take you to post-opp. in a few minutes." He answered. "Just, take it easy for a few days."

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"…_You've got one advantage that Max didn't have."  
"Dad?" Sam asked incredulously, "Because Dad's not here, Dean."  
__**"**__No, me." Dean answered, as though this was obvious. "As long as I'm around, nothing bad is gonna happen to you__."_

Sam's unconscious body was a testament of that broken promise. Dean collapsed into the chair beside Sam's bed. His shoulder disagreed with the movement, but he didn't care; Sam's wounds were worse.

The bruise around his eye was an angry, violet color that was a contrast to the pallid skin of his face. Dean already knew what injuries lay hidden beneath the thin white sheet. He sat silently through the visiting hours, hoping that Sam would wake up. Eventually he was forced to accept the fact that he would have to leave the hospital without his younger brother.

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As Dean drove the Impala from the lot where it had been towed, the only thing he could think of was Sam. It should have been Dean lying in that hospital bed. He was the one who had fallen asleep, and he should have been the one to suffer for it, not Sammy.

After Dean arrived at the hotel, he sat on one of the beds and looked at the other one. The one that had been Sam's. Dean sighed and rested his head on his hands. His mind replayed that moment in the cabin when that thing had had its claws all over Sam. He shook his head and tried to clear the image, but it was replaced with a vision of Sam bleeding onto Dean's gray t-shirt. When sleep finally came to him his dreams were full of blood and laughter

After Dean had succumbed to exhaustion, he had slept for one night, but Sam remained unconscious for three agonizing days. Dean had kept a careful vigil over his brother the entire time. He had insisted that the nurses show him how to change Sam's dressings and bandages and spoke at length with his brother's doctor about Sam's prognosis. For a while Sam's body continued to deteriorate and his little brother refused to regain consciousness. Yesterday, however, Sam had begun moaning and murmuring softly. The doctor said it was a sign that he was had moved into a lighter sleep phase. Since that time Dean had restlessly paced beside the hospital bed waiting for Sam to awaken. He was nervous because he knew that Sam would remember being captured by that monster. Sam would find out that his own brother had missed an opportunity to save him because he had not been vigilant. He had been sleeping, of all things. How would he be able to trust Dean to have his back after this?

Dean froze, breath bated, watching his brother. He did not move at all, afraid that if he did the fragile illusion would be dissolved, and he would find his brother unconscious once more. But it wasn't a mirage, Sam had finally woken up. His sleepy eyes focused on Dean. "Hey" he said, voice gravelly from lack of use.

"Sam." Dean smiled for the first time in days, his guilt momentarily forgotten. "How do you feel?"

Sam groaned and answered, "Like road kill." He rubbed eyes and glanced at his surroundings. "How long have I been here?"

"Three days." Dean lowered his gaze as he spoke. When Sam gingerly placed his hand on his bandaged side it was not lost to Dean although his brother tried to hide his grimace of pain. "Look, I should've-"

"Dean." Sam said slowly, "Don't beat yourself up over this; our job, it's dangerous. We get hurt."

"But it didn't have to happen. I screwed up and it could have gotten you killed." Dean shook his head in frustration. "I mean when I think what it must have been like. When that thing had you…"

"Well it wasn't so bad, Dean." Hazel eyes met green ones. "Because I knew you would come back for me."

**So you've read this whole story despite my inconsistent posting, thanks for making it all the way. Please let me know what you thought of my first fanfiction. :D**

**In case anyone cares: **

**The creature in this story is inspired, in part by, the urban legend of El Chupacabra- The Goat Sucker. First reported in Puerto Rico, the Chupacabra is infamous for draining an animal's blood through two circular or triangular puncture wounds at the base of the neck. The legend describes it as being a bipedal, four-foot tall creature with glowing red eyes. I took liberties with its height because of the role that I needed the character to play. The other part of my inspiration came from the film **_**Pan's Labyrinth**_** which is why the Night Prowler can control plant life. Even though I didn't particularly like the movie, I thought the faun was just too creepy to ignore. **

**Luray Caverns is a real place and is somewhat of a tourist resort in Virginia. I doubt it is infested with vampire bats though. ;) For the probably nonexistent people who want to know: The dogwood (the tree Sam waited under) is Virginia's state tree. Thanks for reading, Caio!**

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